Family Says the Late Russell Reilly Loved St. Patrick’s Day
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Ahead of St. Patrick’s Day, Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs is announcing the return of a missing Purple Heart medal to the family of a World War II veteran who loved to celebrate his Irish heritage every March 17.
Little is known about how Russell J. Reilly lost his right leg in combat other than the simple, short explanation he offered his daughter: saving a friend.
“No one leaves the battlefield without scars, and Mr. Reilly’s was more visible than most,” Frerichs said. “It is an honor to finally return his Purple Heart to his loving family.”
This marks the record 18th medal that Treasurer Frerichs has returned as part of Operation Purple Heart, an unprecedented mission to reunite the iconic military medals with their rightful owners.
Reilly was in his early 20s and living with his parents in Chicago’s South Austin neighborhood before he went off to war. He spent three years in the Army and was honorably discharged in 1945 with the rank of Private First Class. He returned to Chicago, married, and adopted a daughter, Patti. Reilly and his wife, Edith, later obtained a VA loan to buy a house in Des Plaines, and then moved to nearby Wheeling.
Patti Barnstable, Reilly’s only child, remembers the wooden prosthetic leg and the thick leather belt used to hold it in place. She also remembers the challenges it posed, such as limiting his ability to attend school events because of the inability to safely navigate the bleachers. Reilly worked as a police clerk and courthouse deputy, but he also had a job offer rescinded after the employer learned about the wooden leg, she said.
There were good memories, too. Barnstable said her father was a “typical Irishman.” He always wore green on St. Patrick’s Day and enjoyed a beer with friends. Mr. Reilly died on St. Patrick’s Day in 1980 while in the VA Hospital in Maywood. He was 60.
“What are the chances?” Barnstable said.
Reilly’s Purple Heart was in a safe deposit box submitted to the state treasurer’s office in 2018. Operation Purple Heart’s 18 medals returned is an unparalleled record in Illinois and the nation. Information about Operation Purple Heart, including a list of unclaimed Purple Heart medals in possession of the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office, is available on the program’s web page.
“If you recognize a name, please reach out to them or their family. This is an honor that deserves to be in their loving hands, not the cold, dark vault of my office,” Frerichs said.
Military medals are among the most difficult items to return because neither the Armed Forces nor the federal government maintain a comprehensive list of awardees. In most cases, the conflict in which the Purple Heart was awarded, such as World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, or Desert Storm, is unclear or unknown.
Each of the Purple Heart medals was inside a bank safe deposit box. Each bank determined the safe deposit box abandoned because the owner(s) of the box had not touched it in several years. As a result, the contents were turned over to the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office.
Safeguarding unclaimed property until it can be returned to its owners or heirs – no matter how long it takes – is a core function of the state treasurer’s office. Other examples of unclaimed property include bank accounts, unpaid life insurance benefits and uncashed rebate checks.
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About the Illinois Treasurer
The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office is a powerful economic engine that invests in people to drive prosperity, development and growth throughout the state. As State Treasurer, Michael Frerichs (FRAIR’iks) is the state’s Chief Investment and Banking Officer and actively manages approximately $60 billion. The investments help families pay for college and trade school; workers save for a dignified retirement; and local governments process bill payments more efficiently so they can pass along the savings to taxpayers. The office provides financial institutions with money to loan to farmers, small business owners, and qualified individuals at below-market rates because better jobs create stronger communities. The office operates the state’s largest consumer-protection initiative, the missing money ICash program, which has returned a record-breaking $2.4 billion since Frerichs was elected.
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